Crooks find a way to get guns

The stolen guns are similar to those pictured. An ATF report said Texas was No. 2 in the nation in 2012 for guns reported lost or stolen by federally licensed firearms dealers.

The stolen guns are similar to those pictured. An ATF report said Texas was No. 2 in the nation in 2012 for guns reported lost or stolen by federally licensed firearms dealers.

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Two men broke into Alamo Tactical on the North Side in November and stole eight firearms, including a limited-edition sniper rifle, according to police.

Two men broke into Alamo Tactical on the North Side in November and stole eight firearms, including a limited-edition sniper rifle, according to police.

Photo: Courtesy Photo And Illustration

Crooks find a way to get guns

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SAN ANTONIO — As federal agents increasingly prosecute grandmothers, college students, exotic dancers and other U.S. citizens who serve as “straw buyers” for those who can't purchase guns legally, crooks are finding other ways to get the firepower in their hands.

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Often, they simply help themselves. Such was the case Nov. 25, when at least two men broke into Alamo Tactical on the North Side and stole eight firearms, including a limited-edition sniper rifle custom-made for Seal Team 6.

The $7,000 gun was the most expensive of the bunch, which also included three tactical rifles similar to AR-15s and four handguns. The thieves used a crowbar to pry into the store and fled in a waiting dark vehicle, possibly a Nissan, according to San Antonio police.

“From the time they broke in to the time they were gone, it was two minutes and 30 seconds,” said Alamo Tactical owner Chris Anda. “They were in the store less than one minute. ... They've definitely been in here before.”

The break-in adds to the thousands of thefts reported each year by federally licensed firearms dealers across America. In 2012, the latest year for which statistics are available, Texas was second in the category, with 1,263 guns reported by dealers as lost or stolen. Of those, 688 were stolen, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Pennsylvania was No. 1 on the list.

Dealers nationwide reported 5,762 guns stolen and 10,915 as lost in 2012, according to the report.

“Within 48 hours of discovery, they are required to report (the theft) to ATF,” said Tamarra James, director of industry operations — which inspects gun dealers — for ATF's Houston Division. It covers San Antonio. “Once they contact us, we give them an incident number, and then they complete a theft-loss report.”

Agents will often go out to assist local authorities in an investigation if needed, said Crisanto Perez Jr., ATF's assistant special agent in charge in San Antonio.

For Anda, there is a lot more paperwork involved when there is a hit like the one in November.

“We had to deal with the federal government, ATF, and installed some extra security,” he said. “The downside is for a week and a half, we had to have two people sleep here while that was done.”

The ATF argues that the information is necessary for the “identification, apprehension and prosecution of the thieves.”

Data related to guns missing from private parties is unreliable for a number of reasons, so the 2012 report did not give the total in that category. Instead, it focused on federally licensed dealers and requirements when guns in their inventory disappear.

In the Alamo Tactical case, the matter has been turned over to Crime Stoppers for help.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $500 for information leading to the arrests of the thieves. Anyone with information is asked to call 210-224-STOP.